Wildfires increasingly impact western US fluvial networks
Abstract
Wildfires are increasing globally in frequency, severity, and extent, but their impact on fluvial networks, and the resources they provide, remains unclear. We combine remote sensing of burn perimeter and severity, in-situ water quality monitoring, and longitudinal modeling to create the first large-scale, long-term estimates of stream+river length impacted by wildfire for the western US. We find that wildfires directly impact ~6% of the total stream+river length between 1984 and 2014, increasing at a rate of 342 km/year. When longitudinal propagation of water quality impacts is included, we estimate that wildfires affect ~11% of the total stream+river length. Our results indicate that wildfire activity is one of the largest drivers of aquatic impairment, though it is not routinely reported by regulatory agencies, as wildfire impacts on fluvial networks remain unconstrained. We identify key actions to address this knowledge gap and better understand the growing threat to fluvial networks, water security, and public health risks.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Apr 30, 2021
- Source ID
- 10.1038/s41467-021-22747-3
Entities
People
- David Van Horn
- Grady P. Ball
- Justin K. Reale
- Peter Regier
- Ricardo González-Pinzón
Organizations
- National Science Foundation
- United States Army Corps of Engineers